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Teams / Academy tab is done for now. As warned, it's not a big update this time. Hopefully I'll be able to return to regular updates next month. Latest prototype build has been updated.

Specifics that are done in this tab: Academy level, Officer grads per year, racial training level, crewmen and junior officers, list available officers by team type, show this pop only, show unassigned only, create team, list teams on this colony, list members of team, list commanders stationed at colony, open officers window, transfer team to ship, rename team, disband team.

Meta Musings: Not going to lie, the grind is getting real. At this phase in the project, none of the code is particularly challenging, there is just so.. darn.. much of it, and the end result of finishing a section is a lot like seeing two pages of numbers add up in an accounting program. It's one of the reasons progress is currently slow. I'm fiercely determined however, and love to code, so it's not going to die. Q4X is and will be my only programming-for-fun project until otherwise notified. And if I ever do move on, I will absolutely make it open source / MIT License first.

Anyway! The holidays call, happy times are here and I hope everyone is well! See you next year!

There have been problems in VB6 with NPRs duplicating research or not following sensible research strategies. Therefore, each NPR design theme in C# Aurora has a built-in tech progression. This consists of many tech groups, each of which contains one or more tech types. For example, a group might simply contain armour, or it may contain a group of energy weapon related tech types, including the major components for the NPR's preferred weapon plus beam fire control techs. An engine-related tech group may contain reactor, engine and fuel consumption tech types. The NPR may have the same tech group multiple times in its design theme progression.

An NPR will check the total research cost for the tech group, based on the next tech within each tech type, and then dedicate all research in its empire toward achieving that total. For example, if the tech group is engines (reactor, engine, fuel consumption) and the NPR already has ion tech, it will total Stellarator Fusion Reactor (12,000), Magneto-plasma Drive Technology (20,000) and Fuel Consumption: 0.6 Litres per Engine Power Hour (8000) for a total of 40,000 RP. Once the total is hit, it gains all the techs in that tech group. Certain tech groups will trigger a redesign for NPR ship types and/or ground forces.

Each tech group has an associated research field based on the majority field within the group. Progression will be based on either the best scientist for that field, regardless of admin rating, or the best overall scientist if that bonus exceeds 4x the specialist bonus.

This gives some advantages over players (no admin limit) and some disadvantages (less flexible). Most importantly, this should provide a much more cohesive NPR research strategy and make NPRs more challenging as they improve their technology. This code has been working since before the current campaign.

This sounds great. What I would like in addition is variation in the AI research assignment weights, if possible. For example, let's say one NPR's racial idea of research is 'get powerful weapons, worry about fire controls later,' and so it would end up with high-tech weapons but its BFCs (or MFCs, as appropriate) might lag behind. Or, of course, in reverse. Similarly an NPR might worry about power generation more than beam research, because its racial AI figures advanced powergen (and drives) are more useful and it's ok lagging behind with only visible light lasers while it has magneto-pulse, for example.

All that is possible. There is a master list for progression but different design themes can choose which parts they include and there are alternate paths already built into the progression (and more can be added).

There have been problems in VB6 with NPRs duplicating research or not following sensible research strategies. Therefore, each NPR design theme in C# Aurora has a built-in tech progression. This consists of many tech groups, each of which contains one or more tech types. For example, a group might simply contain armour, or it may contain a group of energy weapon related tech types, including the major components for the NPR's preferred weapon plus beam fire control techs. An engine-related tech group may contain reactor, engine and fuel consumption tech types. The NPR may have the same tech group multiple times in its design theme progression.

An NPR will check the total research cost for the tech group, based on the next tech within each tech type, and then dedicate all research in its empire toward achieving that total. For example, if the tech group is engines (reactor, engine, fuel consumption) and the NPR already has ion tech, it will total Stellarator Fusion Reactor (12,000), Magneto-plasma Drive Technology (20,000) and Fuel Consumption: 0.6 Litres per Engine Power Hour (8000) for a total of 40,000 RP. Once the total is hit, it gains all the techs in that tech group. Certain tech groups will trigger a redesign for NPR ship types and/or ground forces.

Each tech group has an associated research field based on the majority field within the group. Progression will be based on either the best scientist for that field, regardless of admin rating, or the best overall scientist if that bonus exceeds 4x the specialist bonus.

This gives some advantages over players (no admin limit) and some disadvantages (less flexible). Most importantly, this should provide a much more cohesive NPR research strategy and make NPRs more challenging as they improve their technology. This code has been working since before the current campaign.

This sounds great. What I would like in addition is variation in the AI research assignment weights, if possible. For example, let's say one NPR's racial idea of research is 'get powerful weapons, worry about fire controls later,' and so it would end up with high-tech weapons but its BFCs (or MFCs, as appropriate) might lag behind. Or, of course, in reverse. Similarly an NPR might worry about power generation more than beam research, because its racial AI figures advanced powergen (and drives) are more useful and it's ok lagging behind with only visible light lasers while it has magneto-pulse, for example.

I don't know if this is the place to make the suggestion or if this the "galactic empire" option in the game (i assumed that was Star Wars) but it would be cool to have a Asimov Foundation/Empire theme in the game. I would be down to make it or help out.

If you can produce the name lists as text files (one name per line), I will add them to the game.

my biggest question is this: with the (lack of) operational range of the parasites, can you dependably keep the carriers out of missile range?

it also seems like you have a very high minimum investment in Gallicite before your fleet can endure the usual npr levels of AMM spam. maybe it would work for your flak ships to be based on the assassin chassis instead of the killer?

You are right that it would be a lot cheaper to build slower ships that don't have stealth capabilities. Gallicite isn't a problem at the moment, but it very well could be later on down the road. The expense of the engines is also why I haven't planned to upgrade the corvettes speed over time. The engine is over half of their cost, so there really isn't too much point in changing it out, instead of making a whole new ship. Especially when they should have a speed advantage over the vast majority of the ships they will find, even ones which are several generations more advanced. I should run the numbers, though, and see if I can find a more cost efficient frame for my flak corvettes.

Dealing with AMM and massed box launchers will be a problem. In my test fights while developing the idea, they didn't really stand much of a chance against either missile build. However, that is a problem that the vast majority of designs are weak against. But I feel like it can be overcome with good scouting, maneuverability, and the micromanagement of knowing where their ranges are. My plan, which still needs to be tested against actual NPR spam, is to scout out where the AMMs are able to reach, then ride that line with my main ships, and bait out several salvos of AMMs. If I know how fast they are going, then I can duck back across the line and hopefully have the missiles burn out in flight trying to catch me.

I feel like good scouting is also the answer to keeping the carriers safe from missile attack. If they are caught out, then the operational ranges of the corvettes doesn't give me much wiggle room. However, jump scouts should make sure that there isn't anything within striking distance of the jump point, and after that, they just need to be able to retreat back out of sensor range. So far, nothing has come anywhere near to finding out there the carriers are, and as long as they don't get surprised, they should be able to lie doggo and let the decoy fighters draw the enemy away.

You have 98 flight crew berths, but the assassin class carrier can only carry one corvette with 19 or 21 crew. I would bump up the deployment time, or lower the flight crew berths and use the extra space for something else. Perhaps more maintenance, your carrier only has 104 msp but the max repair on the corvettes (i assume it is the single 600 EP ion engine) is 525. if there is damage to a corvette or a maintenance loss, you have no ability to repair in the field.

The Assassins pull double duty. Their main function is to carry the corvettes, but they also need to be able to carry scouts, sensor pods, and other utility fighters with a lot more life support demands. For instance, my scouts are 500 t fighters, and have a crew of 19. With 98 flight crew berths, the Assassins have just barely enough room for a full load of 5 scouts. I also have maintenance pods that fit on any of my carriers that allow for any in-flight repairs that may be needed.

I don't know if this is the place to make the suggestion or if this the "galactic empire" option in the game (i assumed that was Star Wars) but it would be cool to have a Asimov Foundation/Empire theme in the game. I would be down to make it or help out.

You have 98 flight crew berths, but the assassin class carrier can only carry one corvette with 19 or 21 crew. I would bump up the deployment time, or lower the flight crew berths and use the extra space for something else. Perhaps more maintenance, your carrier only has 104 msp but the max repair on the corvettes (i assume it is the single 600 EP ion engine) is 525. if there is damage to a corvette or a maintenance loss, you have no ability to repair in the field.

my biggest question is this: with the (lack of) operational range of the parasites, can you dependably keep the carriers out of missile range?

it also seems like you have a very high minimum investment in Gallicite before your fleet can endure the usual npr levels of AMM spam. maybe it would work for your flak ships to be based on the assassin chassis instead of the killer?

The Subhumed Techno-Organic Conclave, formerly known as "Humanity", has been developing an extremely high alpha doctrine comprised of laser armed corvettes armed with the largest single laser they can create. Essentially, they took their most advanced laser, and wrapped a ship around it. This has resulted in the following ship.

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposesThe Killer-class ship is a light, stealthed corvette with great punching power at long and short range. Its short range and lack of life support means that it is reliant on carriers to project power away from the homeworld. It is supported by the Annihilator-class Kinetic Corvette, armed with light railguns for point defense duties, and the Poisoner-class EW Corvette, armed with High-Power Microwaves to ensure boarding actions are safe.

This design is classed as a Military Vessel for maintenance purposesAll of these, and many different utility fighters, are housed primarily in the Assassin-class Light Carrier, capable of carrying one corvette.